Alarm



ug- 5, 1930. J. s. VAN GUILDER ALARK Filed Dec. 6. 1927 @than nu:

Patented Aug. 5, 194,30

UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE Application led December 6, 1927. Serial No. 238,028.

This invention relates to alarms, and has more particular reference to an electrical device of this kind adapted for use as an aid in curing persons of the habit of nocturnal 5 urination or bed-wettin The primary object the invention is to provide means for sounding an alarm when urination starts so as to awaken the sleeper before the bladder is emptied and thereby enable him or her to avoid material wetting of the bed.

A further object is to provide an electrical alarm of the above which is simple in con-- struction and elicient in operation.

The invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 isa plan view, partly broken away, of a'sbed pad .forming part of the present invention', and

Figure 2 is a view of the alarm device, the bed pad being in section and the remainder of the device being dia ammatically shown.

Referring more in etail to the drawing, the present invention preferably embodiesa bed pad adapted to be placed beneath the sleeper as practiced with ordina bed pads, and comprising a suitable fabrlc casing 5 pervious to moisture and having a filling of suitable material, as at 6, adapted to be rendered conductive to electricity when moistened with urine. The material 6 is referabl granular and may consist of so ium chlonde as the latter, when d will not act as a conductor. Arranged wit in the casing 5, respectively beneath and upon the filling material 6, are foraminous conductor sheets 7 and 8, preferably -Y consisting of sheets of copper w1re screening havin an area substantially ual to the area o the pad. The conductor mnals 9 and 10 adapted to have suitable insulated conductor wires 11 and 12 connected thereto, and the wire 11 is connected to one side of a battery 13 whose other side is connected by wire 14 to one side of a manuall ,-.q operable switch 15. The other side of switc 15 is connected by a wire 16 to one terminal eets 7 and 8 have mar 'nal ters,

of an electrical signal device or bell 17, and the wire 12 connects to the other terminal of bell 17. In operation, the filling material is normally dry and insulates the sheets 7 and 8 from each other so as to prevent sound- 55 ing of the bell 17 even though the switch 15 is closed. When the sleeper begins to urinate, the urine runs through the casing 5 and conductor sheet 8 and saturates a portion of the filling material 6 entirely through to the 60 sheet 7. The wetted portion of the material 6 is thus rendered conductive to electrically connect the sheets 7 and 8 and close the alarm circuit, whereby the bell 17 is caused to operate and awaken the sleeper before his or her bladder is emptied. By turnin the switch 15 off, the alarm may be rendere silent, and by constructing the casing so that it may be opened, the wet filling material may be replaced by dry material to condition the device for re-use.

Minor changes may be'made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

In an alarm of the character described, a bed pad comprising a exible fabric casing of flathollow form and pervious to moisture,

a filling of granular material within said casing forming a non-conductor of electricity so when dry and a conductor of electricity when wetted, flexible foramious conductor sheets arranged within said casing respectively upon and beneath said filling material so as to be normally s aced apart and insulated a5 from each other y said filling material, said foraminous sheets having an area substantiall equal to the area o the pad, and margina terminals on said foraminous conductor sheets projecting outwardly of .the'fao casing for connection with conductor wires of an alarm circuit In testimony whereof Iax my signaum JESSE s. VAN GbmDER. a

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